Railway cross-tie.



No. 758,368. PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

. E. s. KEEPER;

. R WAY GROSS TIE.

APPL ION FILED SEPT. 19,

H0 MODEL.

10 i F 5 11 2 a 2 UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE;

TIETHS TO LEE BAMBERGER. OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RAILWAY GROSS-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,368, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed September 19,1903. $e1'ia1No. 173,850. (No model.) I

1'0 alZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. KEEPER, a

. citizen of the United States of America, and a particularly in that class of. ties which are formed from concrete or similar plastic mate rial capable of being readily molded into form and adapted when so molded to harden so as to be sufiiciently strong and durable for use; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this general character of a simple and inexpensive nature which shall have improved and simplified means for holding the rails in position thereon.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved railway-tie whereby certain important advantages are attained and thedevice is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adaptedfor use than various other forms of cross-tie heretofore devised, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a railway-tie constructed according-to my invention and also showinga fragment of arail held thereon, as will be hereinafter explained. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken lengthwise of the improved railway-tie and showing certain features of the means for holding the rails in place thereon. Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified arrangement of the improved rail-holding means. Fig. 4 isanother sectional view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but showing another modified arrangement of the rail-holding means. Fig. 5 is another sectional view similar to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, but showing still another modified arrangement of the improved rail -holding means.

The central portion of the improved crosstie is shown as broken out in each of Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 for lack of space. 7

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 1 indicates the main or body portion of the improved railway tie, which is constructed in elongated form and of suitable dimensions from concrete or similar cement compound molded into shape and adapted to harden sufiiciently to permit of successful use upon railway-lines. Within the concrete or other material from which the improved tie is formed may, if desired, be extended a piece or sheet of wire fabric or similar material, extended lengthwise of the tie, as shown at a in Fig. 2, so that added strength may be imparted to the tie topreventit from cracking or breaking when in use.

In each end portion of the main or body portion 1 of the improved tie is formed, as indicated in Fig. 2, a recess or cavity. 2, each end of which is made with an undercut or beveled or dovetailed wall, and each of such cavities or recesses 2 2 in the tie is open at the upper surface of the tie and is adapted to receive means for. holding the rail in place upon the tie, as will be hereinafter explained.

The rail-holding means shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprisesblocks or pieces 3 3 of wood or like material, each of which has an end surface 4 beveled or inclined to fit snugly within and against the undercut or dovetailed end wall of the corresponding recess or cavity 2 of the tie, and said blocks or pieces 3 3 are arranged in pairs or sets, there being two of them within each of said recesses or cavities 2 2. The wooden blocks or pieces 3 3 are of dimensions, measured lengthwise of the improved tie, such that when they are in place within their recesses, with their inclinedend surfaces 4 4 fitted upon the undercut ends of the recesses, a space will be provided between the blocks or pieces 3 3 of each pair or set, in which space is adapted to be received a central block or piece 5 of wood or other suitable material adapted to snugly fill such intervening space, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. By this meansit will be seen that when a pair or set of wooden blocks or pieces 3 3 is inserted in one of the cavities or recesses 2 of the tie and the space intervening between them is filled with the block or piece 5 the said blocks or pieces 3 3 are securely locked in place against dislocation from the cavity or recess by the engagement of their beveled end surfaces 4 4 with the undercut ends of said recess or cavity, so that there is no liability of the said blocks or pieces being accidentally dislodged from the tie. The blocks or pieces 3 3 and 5 are preferably arranged to extend slightly above the top surface of the concrete body portion 1 of the tie, and in use the rails 00 are laid upon the upwardly projecting portions of said blocks, as shown in Fig. 1, the rail itself serving to hold in position the central block or piece 5 and having its flanges extended upon the top surfaces of the blocks 3 3, so that spikes may be driven down into the said blocks or pieces 3, as indicated at y in Fig. 1, for the secure holding of the rail in position. Since the blocks or pieces 3 3 and 5 extend slightly above the topsurface of the body portion 1 of the concrete tie, it is evident that a certain degree of elasticity is afforded to prevent liability of damage to the tie or to its rail-holding means due to the vibration of the rails or to the heavy strains imposed upon them. Were the rails to bear directly upon the concrete surface of the body portion 1, it is evident that there would be great liability of the tie being cracked or otherwise damaged by the strains and vibration. By this construction it is evident that the tie may be molded from concrete or similar cement compound with the cavities or recesses 2 2, and the wooden blocks 3 3 and 5 may be inserted in said recesses or cavities in position to receive the spikes for holding the rail in position, and when it is required to repair or relay the track, and consequently to draw the spikes from the wooden blocks 3 3, it will be understood that the central block or piece 5 in the space interveningthe blocks 3 3 may be removed from said space, whereupon the said blocks or pieces 3 3 may themselves be removed from the recesses 2 and replaced by others, so that a secure hold of the new spikes may be afforded in the neWly-inserted blocks For facilitating the removal of the locking blocks or pieces 5 from the spaces intervening the blocks 3 3 I prefer to provide in the concrete body portion 1 an opening 6, extending from the central part of the bottom of each recess or cavity 2 to the under side of the concrete body portion, through which opening 6 a tool may be driven against the under side of the central locking block or piece 5 for forcing the same out from between the blocks 3 3. For driving the tool through said opening 6 it may be more convenient to invert the tie, so that its bottom side will be uppermost,

and the locking-block 5 will more readily fall from the space between the blocks 3 3.

By this construction it will be seen that the concrete tie is given a very inexpensive and durable structure and has all of the advantages of a wooden tie, in that it is not liable to be damaged by vibration or strains upon the rails. The improved rail-holding means is also of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is capable of being readily removed and replaced with but little labor and at slight cost, so that the life of the tie is thus considerably lengthened. The arrangement of the rail-holding means is also such that the rails are securely and firmly held to the tie and are not liable to spread or become loosened.

In certain cases it may be desirable to employ the modified arrangement of railway-tie shown in Fig. 3, wherein in lieu of a set of separate removable blocks being held in each of the recesses or cavities 2 2 a single wooden block 7 is held in each of said cavities and has inclined ends fitting the undercut or dovetailed walls of said recess or cavity, as indicated at 8 on the drawings. In this form of the improved tie the blocks 7 7 will necessarily be embedded in the mass of concrete or other cement compound from which the tie is formed at the time of molding the tie therefrom, and said blocks are not capable of being readily removed and replaced.

In Fig. i I have illustrated another form of I railway-tie similar to that last described, excepting that the wooden blocks 9 9, which are embedded in the tie at the time of molding the same, have rounded end portions 10 10, adapted to fit rounded undercut surfaces at the ends of the recesses 2 2 in the concrete body portion.

In Fig. 5 is shown still another arrangement, wherein each end 12 12 of each wooden block 11 11 has a double-beveled surface to fit a corresponding conformation at the end of the recess or cavity 2", wherein such block 11 is arranged. 1

From the above description it will be seen that the improved tie constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple and inexpensive construction and is especially well adapted for use owing to the constantlyincreasing cost of wooden ties, due to gradual reduction of the sources of supply by the cutting away of forests. The device constructed according to my invention is also especially desirable for use, since it is considerably more durable than wooden and concrete ties as hitherto devised and afi'ords all of the advantages capable of being attained by either of these forms of tie. It will also be understood from the above description that the improved railway-tie is capable of considerable modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts of the device as herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway-tie or the like having a body portion formed from molded plastic material provided near each end with a recess open at the upper surface of the tie and adapted to receive rail-holding means, each recess having undercut walls at opposite ends, and railholding means held in the recesses and comprising a wooden block held in each recess and having at opposite ends beveled surfaces corresponding in inclination with and engaged with and fitted against the opposite undercut end walls ofthe respective recess in which it is held to hold the rail-holding means in position therein.

2. A railway-tie or the like having a body portion formed from molded plastic material provided with a recess open at the surface of the tie and having undercut ends and a plurality of wooden blocks each having at one end a surface conforming to and fitting an undercut end of said recess, the other ends of the respective blocks being adjacent to each other and means between the adjacent ends of the blocks for holding said blocks in position with said surfaces engaged with the ends of the recess.

3. A railway-tie or the like having a bod;

portion formed from molded plastic material provided with a recess open atone surface of the tie and having undercut ends, wooden blocks insertible in the recess and each having a surface conforming to and fitting an undercut end of the recess, the vertical surfaces of said blocks being adjacent to each other but spaced-apart and a locking-block removably held in the space intervening the firstnamed blocks.

4. A railway-tie or the like having a body portion provided with a recess open at one surface of the tie and having undercut ends, said body portion being also provided with an opening leading from the center of the bottom of said recess to the under side of the body portion, blocks insertible in the recess and each having a surface conforming to and fitting an end of the recess, the adjacent surfaces of the blocks being spaced apart and a locking-block removably held in the space intervening the first-named blocks.

5. railway-tie comprisinga body portion having a recess the ends of which are underout, said body portion being also provided with an opening leading from the central part of the bottom of said recess to the bottom of the tie for the insertion of atool for removal of rail-holding. means from the recess.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 17th day of September, 1903.

' EDWARD S. KEEFER. Vvitnesses:

LEE BAMBERGER,

JOHN ELIAS JONES. 

